Factions

The Lost Mine of Phandelver is shaping up to be one of the better D&D adventures I've seen in recent years. It's a lot more open-ended than most 4e modules, and reminds me somewhat of games like Baldur's Gate in that the various NPCs in town have quests that you can take up in addition to the main storyline. Most of these NPCs offer typical rewards (i.e., gold), but some also offer membership in various organizations. I'm no Forgotten Realms guru by any means, but I recognized the Harpers and the Zhentarim; the Order of the Gauntlet and the Lords' Alliance, however, were new to me. I think it's cool that the adventure provides players with opportunities for their characters to join established Realms organizations -- it's yet another way that Fifth Edition helps integrate characters into the game world. And from what I hear, these various factions play a key role in D&D Adventurers League, the new organized play system.